It's the world's longest and deepest train tunnel, transporting passengers from Zurich to Milan in only two and a half hours, and it opened with unusual fanfare and performance.

Traveling around Europe by train just got a whole lot faster, thanks to the opening of Switzerland's Gotthard Base Tunnel. After 17 years of construction and $12 billion in costs, the 'GBT' is now the world's longest and deepest railway tunnel, running through the rocky Alps at depths that reach 7,500 feet.

The 35.4-mile tunnel, opened on June 1, 2016 has been called a "godsend for Europe" by EU transport commissioner Violeta Bulc. Trains travel at a speed of 155 miles per hour. With the new high-speed route—which offers a great alternative to flying—travelers will be able to journey from Zurich to Milan in two and a half hours—a welcome improvement from the four-plus hours it currently takes. It will also connect Rotterdam, Holland and Antwerp, Belgium with Adriatic ports, reducing air pollution along trade routes and decreasing the number of trucks on the roads.

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A winged, giant-headed baby, 600 dancers, acrobats, and actors took part in the festivities accompanied by the sound of Alpine horns.

As NBC reported, the tunnel required the excavation of roughly 31 million tons of rock—which, for scale, is enough to build five Giza pyramids. Japan's Seikan Tunnel, which runs for roughly 33.5 miles, is now the world's second longest. The Channel Tunnel, connecting England to France, drops down to third place.

The first group to travel through the tunnel was comprised of 1,000 "representatives of the Swiss population," according to a Gotthard news release. In attendance was the Federal Council, heads of state and government from neighboring countries—German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President François Hollande, and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi—and transport ministers of countries along the Rotterdam-Genoa freight corridor. About 300 members of the media were also in attendance. After the inaugural ride, public festivals will be held at both ends of the tunnel at Erstfeld/Rynächt and Pollegio/Biasca train stations, and throughout June, there will also be celebrations at Swiss stations in Aarau, Biel, Berne, Geneva, Winterthur, and Zurich. Regular service through the GBT is scheduled to begin in December 2016.

Courtesy AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd.

The tunnel has enough copper cable to reach from New York City to San Antonio.